Gary Anderson survived match darts as he fought back to defeat Damon Heta 2-1 at the 2026 World Grand Prix. Niels Zonneveld now awaits the Scottish great in the next round. Speaking after the win, Anderson admitted he was far from pleased with his performance, particularly at the start, but was encouraged by how it finished.
"At the end, all right. You know, you were there the other night spying on me. You know, started off really bad in the wee exhibition we had, but by the end of it, you know, I think when I played Jeff Smith, it was four or five legs, I was sitting on 115 average," Anderson told Online Darts. "So it started to come good at the end, but at the start, it was bad, wasn't it? It wasn't great. No, I was just glad to get over. It's a hard game double start. You know, it's a very short format as well. Really short."
Reflecting on a crucial 115 checkout late in the match, Anderson said he needed it and that it gave him the luck to push on. "It hurt me going in. I went, right, cool, we've got to keep going. But, no, it was just when they finished that, you know, I needed that and it went in. So, you know, you can, what do you say, luck of the gods, I don't know, but I was going for it and it went in. And then after that, like I say, I thought my starting was okay in the tournament and the finishing was a bit iffy at the end. Well, not the end, but the first and second set."
Anderson also touched on some banter with a section of the crowd, who he said also gave it to Luke Humphries. "Oh, they kept trying. They say they'd buy me a coffee in the morning. I hope they do." Asked about growing into tournaments, he quipped that he no longer expects much when he plays. "I don't know. I just enjoy playing. You know, I don't expect a lot when I play darts. I really don't. But when it happens, I can still bang in the big averages. It's the complete opposite. But it's just one of these things. I don't know how they're going to go, you know. It makes it a wee bit what's going to happen tonight, you know. So, it's just one of these things, you know. I do enjoy playing. I think I always will be."
Turning to Luke Littler, Anderson reiterated his appreciation for the young phenom and hit out at the pressure being placed on him, saying darts would be in a worse place without him. "I've always said I've been honoured. I've played the greats. I've played Taylor, Van Gerwen, Luke Humphries. I thought the run before young Littler took over. Now you've got young Luke. I've had the pleasure to play them. I don't think I've beat Littler yet. I came close, but I've not done him yet. But I've done the other boys, you know. But I just think, I mean, like you say, we had a conversation the other night about what's going on with Luke. And it's not good. I mean, you get a chance to watch a boy. He's phenomenal. You know, he's absolutely, he's a young lad that's turned up and he's ripped the game of darts apart. And he's brought all the youngsters into the darts. So, all your manufacturers and dartboard sellers, they should be thanking him as well. Because if it wasn't for him, we'd have been back where we were five years ago."
Asked who is the best among those he has faced, Anderson still names Phil Taylor as number one. "I'm still going to say Taylor to this now. I mean, Luke's, get me out of the two Lukes, you know, Michael, Michael when he was on it. Very similar to Luke Littler. A young Michael and a young Luke, you know, they had some cracking games. I'm going to say Taylor now, you know, because of the longevity that he's done. You know, he's played for about, well, TV was in black and white when he started. But no, I'm a big fan of Luke Littler. And I'm chuffed with what he's done for the game. You know, so many youngsters, like I said the other night when we did the exhibition, it was full of youngsters. And it's great to see. It's great for the game."
On his practice habits, Anderson told French journalists he doesn't train. "When you get to know me, you know, I don't train. I don't train. I don't practise. You know, I've done it for 32 years, a long time. So, you know, I spend more time with my family and my children now, and darts is kind of the side. So, yeah, yeah. I don't play much darts now." As for the new generation, Anderson is certainly not intimidated — and suspects the feeling is mutual. "No. Are they scared of me? I think they're still a bit scared of me. You know, I'll be 56 this year at the Worlds, but I can still play darts. So it doesn't mean if they're young... They might be young, but I'm old and I've got the head up there for it."
